Method of tempering and annealing car-wheels.



No. 871,932. PATENTED NOV. 26, 1907. J. M. HANSEN. METHOD OF TEMPERING AND ANNEALING CAR WHEELS. APPLICATION FILED NOV.15,1906.

W N. NM.

m NW-H WITNESSES.

JOHN M. HANSEN, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

METHOD or 'rnmrnnme AND ANNEALING canpwmanns.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN M. HANSEN, a resident of Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have in forging vented a 'new and useful Improvement in Method of Tempering and Annealing Car Wheels; and I do hereby declarethe follow-' ing to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof. I p

My invention relates to the manufacture of car wheels, and especially to the tempering, or hardening, or retaining the hardness, of the tread face thereof and the annealingof the body, including the web and hub. These car wheels are made from steel by forging Operations or combined forging and rolling operations, or are made from east lron in suitable molds. 'It is desirable in such wheels that the body, including the hub and web" portions as well as the inner portion of the tread, shall be as soft and toughand free om strains as practicable, while the outer or wearing face of the wheel be rendered as hard as possible so as to resist the wearing or abra g action on the wheel and so extend its life.

The present invention has these objects in View and is especially adapted for the treat ing of forged or forged and rolled steel car wheels, though applicable also to cast wheels.

In the practice of the method the heated wheelafter the completion of the forging, or and rolling, and the setting operatrons, 1s inclosed within a suitable case, the body of the heated wheel being held within a practically air tight heat retainin chamber,

and a suitable hardening fluid, such as water, is then projected against the tread portion of the wheel, the passa e of'the water into the heat retaining cham er being prevented by suitable packmg, such as asbestos, con' er and lower faces of the 's way the heat is held Within the body portion, and it is cooled so adually as to properly anneal it b its own eat, while the outer face or trea portion of the wheel is tempered or hardened by the cooling medium, so as to largely increase its tacting with the up K wearing qualities.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a vertical central section of the coohng case illustrating the wheel in position; Fig. 2 is a bottom view of the-upper section thereof; and Fi 3 isa top view partly broken away of the fiawer section of the coo case. I For the practice of the inventlon I prefer Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed November 15, 1906. SerialNo. 343,573.

* thereof.

to employ a cooling case such as that illus-,

trated in the accompanying drawing, this case being formed of two sections 1, 2, preferably made of cast metal. 1 The lower secing material, such as fire brick, this-fire brick lining being preferably made to conform to the shape of the hub and web of the wheel,i and as illustrated, having the central d c pression 5 to receive the hub portion -6 and the inclined face 7 to fitt o the web portion 8' and the inner face of the/tread of the wheel.

Beyond the'cavity'3 is secured a suitable packing 10, such as asbestos, which contacts with the lower face off the wheel tread 9,' forming a water-tight joint therewith to" prevent the passage of the hardening or te'm pering fluid within the annealing or heat-re' taining chamber inclosing the hub and web,

this heat retaining chamber is practically air tight so 'as to retain the heat around the f hub and web of the wheel and permit the slow cooling and consequent annealing thereof.

The lower case '1 has formed in it the tread receiving or spraying chamber 11, the outer wall of which is formed of the annular perforated plate 12, through which the Water or other hardening or cooling medium is projected against the treadface of the Wheel."

Back of this annular perforated 1plate is the annular water chambcr13 wit any suitable sup ly14'comm1'1n1cates. Lea'd chargle openings 15. As shown in the draw in t pl te 12 is seated in the/bodywf the lower case 1 and its up er edge 1s seated 1118.11811- nular plate 16 b0 ted to and forming the top,

portion of the lower case.

Patented Nov. 26, 1907.

which v mg down from t e spraying or tread receiv ing chamber 11 are a series of sultable dis? e lower edge of the annular perforated The upper case 2 fits onto the lower case 1 as shown, and it has the central cavity 17- in which is seated the'fire brick or like lining 18, shown as 'held within the cavity by suitable bolts 19, this upper fire brick lining having the central cavity 20 to receive 'the upper ortion .of the hub 6 and the inclined face 21 fitting to the web portion 8 of the wheel and to the back face of the tread portion 9 This upper case is also provided with a like asbestos or other heat retaining and water-proof packing 22, which contacts with the upper face of the wheel tread and with the packing 10 prevents passage of the The upper case 2- is preferably carried out over the lower case 1, as shown, and is provided with a series of steam outlets 24 com municating with the upper portion of the spraying chamber 11 above referred to.

The above apparatus illustrates the preferable form of apparatus for practicing my invention, and I will now describe the said method in connection therewith, it'being of course understood that the invention maybe' practiced with any apparatus suitable there- 1 for. The car wheel, after thecompletion of the forging or forging and rolling operation, while still at a suitable heat is placed within the case formed of the two sections 1 and 2, as above described. The body, including the hub and web and inner portion of the tread, are thus inclosed within the heat retaining chamber 23 while the outer portion of the tread 10 extends within the spraying chamber 11, and the passage of water into theheat retaining chamber 23 is prevented by the packing 10 and 22. The weight of the upper case 2 holds it inpla-ce. Water, oil or other suitable tempering or hardenin material is then forced through the pipe 14 and travels around through the annular chamber- 13 and is sprayed or projected against the outer face ofthe tread, acting to chilL and temper or harden the same. The spraying is contihued as long as desired,-either during all or only a portion of the time of the cooling of the wheel body, the water draining through the outlets 15, and any steam formed by contact with the heated wheel'tread escaping through the steam ports 24.- Meanwhile the heat is held within the body of the wheel,

both the hub and the web and the inner portion of the tread, by its inclosure within the heat retaining chamber 23,v so causing the gradual annealing of the same, and while exposing the outer face of the tread to the cooling or hardening action, it is prevented from entering to too great adepth into the wheel tread 'It is preferred that the faces of the heat firetaining linings in the chamber 23 fit closely against the tread face a suitable tread, and

HANsEN have hereunto set my senses to the wheel bod so as to su port and prevent warping or istortion of t e wheel body during cooling, the fire brick lining of the lower case giving such sup ort to the hub and preferably to the web 0 the wheel body. The wheel can be held within the case until it is entirely cooled, the water spray being continued either during all this time or a ortion thereof, as found best. In this way T am enabled to properly anneal or cool the wheelbod and remove any strain there'- from and a so to increase the hardness of the wearing face and so to largely increase the wearing qualities of the wheel.

The-invention may also be employed In connection with wheels which have been worn, such as by re-dressing the face of the worn wheel, and then heating the same and placing it within the case and subjecting it to the same slow cooling action of the body and tem ering or hardening the face, and the life of the wheel-be thus argely extended. The invention'can also be employed to advantage'with cast iron wheels to .harden, or retain the hardness of the chllledpr other surface of the wheel during annealing.

WhatIclaim is: 1. The method of annealing the body and hardening the tread of car wheels, consisting in inclosing the body of the wheel when in a heated state within a practically air tight heat retaining chamber and projecting ardening medium.

I 2. The method of annealing thebody and hardening the tread of car wheels, consisting in inclosing the body of the wheel when in a heated state within a practically air tight heat retainin chamber, sealing the wheel'at the tread an projecting upon the tread face a suitable hardening medlum.

3- The method of annealing the body and hardening the tread of car Wheels, consisting in giving a resting support to both hub and inclosing the hub when 1n a heated state-within a heat retaining chamber, sealing the tread portion from said heat re taining chamber, and rO ect ng agaihst the tread face a suitable ardening medlum.

In testimony whereof, I the sald JOHN M.

hand. JOHN M. HANSEN.

Witnesses:

ROBERT C. TOTTEN, J. R. KELLER. 

